Despite steering the ship after a disastrous start, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope still hit the iceberg as they made an unwanted record. As they made history for the wrong reasons, all the signs point to a front office hiring that could help prevent the $22 million mistake they made in early 2025.

As the Kentucky Wildcats lost at home by a single point to the Auburn Tigers, Mark Pope became the first head coach since the 2020-21 season to lead the team to three consecutive home defeats. College basketball content director at 247 Sports, Kyle Tucker, observed a unique KenPom trend hinting at Kentucky to make a front-office hire.

Kyle Tucker noticed that the top 4 KenPom teams all have a General Manager to help lead recruitment and transfer portal activity. While Tucker urged caution, referring to the observation as anecdotal evidence, it could help teams like Kentucky avoid their bloated $22 million recruitment drive before this season.

Mark Pope has previously expressed his openness to working with a General Manager. And while the Kentucky Wildcats have not taken that step, the modern college basketball era of NIL deals almost necessitates personnel who manage the business side of the college program.

The top four KenPom teams all have General Managers and have recruited exceptionally well this season. Duke has a top NBA Draft prospect in Cameron Boozer, Michigan recruited Trey McKenney, Arizona has freshman guard Brayden Burries leading the team in scoring, and Illinois has found a gem in Keaton Wagler.

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To add to it, having a General Manager ensures balance between the coaching staff’s requests for roster additions and the college program’s allocated budget. Mark Pope and the coaching staff at Kentucky delved heavily into the transfer portal, with the college program reportedly spending $22 million to bolster their men’s college basketball roster.

Kentucky raised everyone’s expectations with its recruitment activity. But the woeful start proved otherwise. Mark Pope steadied the ship, winning 8 out of 9 games. But the Wildcats have surrendered their momentum, astonishingly losing 3 consecutive home games as the roster enters the Kentucky history books for the wrong reasons.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope fined for public comment on officiating in the Auburn defeat

Head coaches always battle officials from the sidelines to gain an edge in calls or to make sure their players are getting the calls they deserve. However, when a controversial officiating decision caused a late-game one-point loss, Kentucky’s head coach could not control his emotions.

The SEC has reacted boldly by fining Mark Pope to the tune of $25,000 and issuing a public reprimand against the Kentucky head coach’s words.

While he said nothing about the officiating standards or mistakes during the post-game conference, Mark Pope hinted at the unfair late-game call on his way out of the presser.

“Mitch, if those (expletives) try to fine me, they can’t. I didn’t say a word about how they cheated us.”

The Kentucky head coach has every right to be upset with the call. With just 15 seconds left on the clock, Kentucky had possession for an upcoming inbound, holding a one-point lead against the Auburn Tigers. The Tigers had no choice but to foul.

Collin Chandler nudged the Auburn defender on his way toward the inbound pass, and the defender reacted by flopping to the ground. The referee called the foul, despite not having a clear view of the incident. The Wildcats lost at home by a single point, marking their third consecutive defeat.

The fine is the least of Mark Pope’s worries. The Kentucky Wildcats have already lost 10 games this season, and will go into 3 of their last 4 regular-season games as the underdog.